What happened on January 4 ?

1077 - Emperor Zhezong of Song Dynasty in China (d. 1100)

1334 - Amadeus VI of Savoy (d. 1383)

1581 - James Ussher, Irish Anglican archbishop (d. 1656)

1643 - Sir Isaac Newton, English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, alchemist, inventor, and natural philosopher (d. 1727)

1664 - Lars Roberg, Swedish physician (d. 1742)

1672 - Hugh Boulter, Irish Archbishop of Armagh (d. 1742)

1710 - Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Italian composer (d. 1736)

1720 - Johann Friedrich Agricola, German composer (d. 1774)

1785 - Jakob Grimm, German philologist and folklorist (d. 1863)

1809 - Louis Braille, French teacher of the blind, the inventor of Braille (d. 1852)

1832 - George Tryon, British admiral (d. 1893)

1838 - Charles Sherwood Stratton, American circus performer as "General Tom Thumb" (d. 1883)

1839 - Carl Humann, German engineer, architect and archaeologist (d. 1896)

1848 - Katsura Taro, Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1913)

1869 - Tommy Corcoran, baseball player (d. 1960)

1874 - Josef Suk, Czech composer and violinist (d. 1935)

1881 - Wilhelm Lehmbruck, German sculptor (d. 1919)

1882 - Aristarkh Lentulov, Russian artist (d. 1943)

1883 - Max Eastman, American writer (d. 1969)

1894 - Manuel de Abreu, Brazilian physician (d. 1962)

1896 - Everett Dirksen, American politician (d. 1969)

1896 - André Masson, French artist (d. 1987)

1900 - James Bond, American ornithologist (d. 1989)

1901 - C. L. R. James, writer and journalist (d. 1989)

1905 - Sterling Holloway, American actor (d. 1992)

1913 - Malietoa Tanumafili II, Sovereign Ruler of Samoa

1914 - Jane Wyman, American actress

1920 - William Colby, American Central Intelligence Agency director (d. 1996)

1924 - Sebastian Kappen, Indian theologian (d. 1993)

1925 - Veikko Hakulinen, Finnish cross-country skier (d. 2003)

1930 - Sorrell Booke, American actor (d. 1994)

1930 - Don Shula, American football coach

1931 - Adi Lady Lala Mara, First Lady of Fiji

1935 - Floyd Patterson, American boxer (d. 2006)

1937 - Grace Bumbry, American singer

1937 - Dyan Cannon, American actress

1940 - Helmut Jahn, German architect

1940 - Brian David Josephson, Welsh physicist, Nobel Prize laureate

1940 - Gao Xingjian, Chinese-born writer, Nobel Prize laureate

1941 - Maureen Reagan, American political activist (d. 2001)

1943 - Doris Kearns Goodwin, American writer

1945 - Richard R. Schrock, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate

1945 - Vesa-Matti Loiri, Finnish entertainer

1950 - John Louis Evans, convicted murderer (d. 1983)

1953 - Norberto Alonso, Argentine footballer

1953 - George Tenet, American Central Intelligence Agency director

1956 - Bernard Sumner, English musician (New Order)

1957 - Patty Loveless, American singer

1958 - Matt Frewer, American actor

1958 - Gary Jones, Welsh-born actor

1960 - Michael Stipe, American singer (R.E.M.)

1962 - Peter Steele, American singer and bassist (Type O Negative)

1962 - Robin Guthrie, Scottish guitarist

1963 - Dave Foley, Canadian comedian and actor

1963 - Till Lindemann, German singer (Rammstein)

1965 - Beth Gibbons, English singer (Portishead)

1965 - Julia Ormond, English actress

1966 - Deana Carter, American singer

1977 - Tim Wheeler, Irish singer (Ash)

1978 - Dwight Freeney, American football player

1978 - Dominik Hrbatý, Slovakian tennis player

1979 - Jeph Howard, American musician (The Used)

1982 - Richard Logan English footballer

1985 - Fernando Rees, Brazilian race car driver

1995 - María Isabel, Young Spanish singer